Mizu no Tsuki
by SquirrelLuvsPnut
Summary: If he was not a shinigami, than what was he? Why was he here if he did not belong?
1. Chapter 1

The young shinigami were energetic that day. They hooted and hollered with  
>abandon, absorbed in their own world. Neither farther than 100 years apart in<br>age, boys and girls joined the group and parted as they pleased. Although they  
>were not all necessarily friends, the children all agreed on a well earned reprieve<br>at the end of grammar class. As if a shift in the winds, all manner of play stopped  
>once an adult invaded their turf.<p>

The frail old teacher approached the children with an air of determination and  
>authority that only an instructor could command. In a gnarled voice, the old<br>woman scolded "If you insist on making such a ruckus on school grounds, then at  
>least include all of your classmates." Looking away, the children realized that the<br>old nag had not approached them alone. She was clutching the hand of another  
>child who almost seemed to be hiding behind her.<p>

Pushing the child closer to the group she departed with the instructions "I  
>trust you will all play nicely." Left alone with the new addition, the rest of the<br>children reflexively took a step backwards as if met with a biting wind. Although  
>unassuming and rather meek, the lone boy's spiritual pressure had an oppressive<br>effect on the rest of them. Standing in awkward silence, the group observed the  
>bespectacled boy with auburn hair and soft eyes. The boy shifted uncomfortably<br>in front of his peers.

After a few moments of awkward silence, one of the more outspoken of the  
>children announced "Let's play somewhere else, you guy's. This kid is making me<br>nauseous." The rest of the group was not inclined to disagree with him. The  
>children started to move away from the quiet boy. As they strode off, a<br>sympathetic girl turned and shouted out to the boy "Maybe next time you can  
>play with us, Sousuke-kun!"<p>

Aizen Sousuke watched impassively as the group of children faded from view.  
>He felt his face grow hot and he pushed his glasses up so he could rub his eyes.<br>He wasn't going to cry, he never did. Tears wouldn't change a thing for him. It  
>would not take away all the rejection or the shame and it certainly wouldn't<br>change how the rest of the world looked at him. He was the odd one out,  
>always. Giving up his beloved books or allowing his grades to suffer or ignoring his<br>compulsion for polite speech had proved to do nothing, but make him miserable.  
>Even if he gave all of that away, he could not be separate from his own reiatsu.<p>

All of his school work was finished and his instructors refused to let him stay  
>any longer. There was nothing left for him to return home and present a hated<br>hollow smile. The last thing he wanted was for his parents to know how despised  
>he was by his peers. Alone with his thoughts, Sousuke found himself looking up<br>into the sky. If every shinigami had their own place, then where was his? Sousuke  
>was certain that whoever was in charge, they were not very good at their job.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Meandering on his way home, Sousuke delighted in watching the world move  
>about him. Not the other shinigami, of course, but rather nature. Sousuke's soft<br>auburn eyes sparkled as he observed a bird land a few feet from him. The  
>creature eyed him indifferently and pushed its beak to the ground in search of<br>seeds. Sousuke stood very still and watched.

Suddenly, a boy rushed towards the bird causing it to fly away. The boy  
>laughed before turning to Sousuke and sneering. It was a boy from grammar<br>school. Sousuke didn't even bother to say anything as the child took off to rejoin  
>his snickering group of friends. The pariah felt tears sting the back of his eyes,<br>but, as always, he forced them back. There was no point in emotion. Nothing  
>would change.<p>

Anxious now to return home, Sousuke hurried the rest of the way home. By  
>the time he reached the front sliding doors of his home, he was fatigued and<br>eager to get to his room. Quietly sliding the door open, Sousuke left his shoes on  
>the front stair and padded into the kitchen. His mother, Sayaka was busy rinsing<br>bowls and tea cups.

Sousuke put on a polite smile "Hello, mother." Startled, Sayaka spun around  
>and exhaled loudly. Catching her breath Sayaka smiled faintly. "Oh Sousuke-kun,<br>you're home early." Her thin hands shook as she ushered him closer for a hug.  
>once he reached for her, he thought he saw her wince, but he wasn't sure. For<br>a moment Sousuke relished in the smell of his mother's chestnut colored hair  
>before he pulled away. He explained "I finished all my work for the day." He left<br>out the part about being humiliated by his peers again. He always left that part  
>out.<p>

Sayaka smiled broadly and ran her fingers through his hair. "You're such a  
>clever boy." Sousuke felt his spirits lift. Even if the rest of the world hated him, at<br>least he had his mother. Sayaka tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.  
>"Your father is having a drink with an old friend of his down the hall. Dinner may<br>be a little late." Sousuke merely nodded before excusing himself.

Wandering to his room, Sousuke paused briefly before the closed door in the  
>hall. He heard his father's voice as well as another man's. Not wanting to<br>eavesdrop, Sousuke hurried to his room. Settling in, he pulled out a sheet of  
>paper and practiced his kanji. When he filled the page with impeccably neat<br>characters, he stopped and evaluated his work. Had he been in class, a teacher  
>would have praised his work before moving on, leaving him alone with the<br>classmates who despised him.

After a moment of reflection, Sousuke tore the page in half. Adults always  
>went out of their way to praise him. Telling him how special he was, but the<br>graces were only momentary. Not even those who extolled him seemed to want  
>to be near him for too long. His mother had reassured him on several occasions<br>that it was just the strength of his reitsu that scared people off. That was it.

Tearing the slices into thirds, then quarters, Sousuke swallowed down the  
>lump in his throat. Despite his placid expression and soft brown eyes, Sousuke<br>was usually a swirling tempest of emotions. Anger, shame, and misery were  
>almost a constant. There was so much he could do, but the things he could not do<br>hurt the worst. The boy slid his glasses off and rubbed his eyes in an effort to calm  
>his thoughts. He always thought too much.<p>

Gathering up the ripped scraps of paper, Sousuke hid them underneath his  
>futon. He had never wanted his parents to know about the problems he faced<br>daily. It was humiliating enough without their knowledge. Besides, Sousuke  
>reviled in his ability to keep a calm face despite his true feelings. It was one of the<br>few talents he was happy to have.

Feeling considerably on edge, Sousuke decided that he would calm himself  
>down with a cup of tea. The raging storm of his mind already began to subside as<br>he imagined the pleasant warmth filling his tummy. A childish excitement  
>enveloped him as he made his way to the kitchen.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Aizen Tohru laughed long and loud as he poured himself some sake. The man  
>had not had a drink in decades and it felt great. He took a long sip as Adachi<br>Homura finished up his comical story of woe. The two men had grown up  
>together and now it seemed almost a crime that they had not seen each other in<br>years.

Homura took a long gulp from his cup and mused, "Asami would kill me if she  
>knew I was drinking right now. How about Sayaka-chan, do you think she minds?"<br>Tohru shook his head. "No, Sayaka trusts me with my sake. But even if she did  
>worry, I doubt she'd bring it up." His smile faded. "She never used to be that<br>timid." He sighed and swallowed down more sake.

Homura scratched his head. "I take it that you two are not the happy  
>newlyweds I saw last, hmm?" Tohru frowned. "It's not that we don't love each<br>other. It's just… She's changed so much and I just can't think of her the way I used  
>to." The man paused. Homura waited patiently. There was something his friend<br>wanted to get off his chest.

Tohru's voice cracked. "I know how this sounds, but ever since Sousuke was  
>born … it almost feels like he stole a piece of her spirit." Homura refilled his cup.<br>"Tell me about this boy of yours. I have heard so many things from many people."  
>Tohru took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. After some thought he said,<br>"We… Sayaka and I, we were so happy when Sousuke was born. We had tried so  
>hard for years and when it finally happened, it felt like a miracle."<p>

Tohru took in a ragged breath and continued. "But he was never our baby. I  
>saw his birth and I know he's mine, but…" The man trailed off, groping for the<br>right words. "His reiatsu, it doesn't make any sense. No one that young should  
>have a pressure like that. I can't even see a shred of Sayaka or myself in his eyes.<br>It's turned her into a nervous wreck. She'd never admit it, but I'm certain that  
>she's even afraid of him. He… he may be our son, but neither of us know just what<br>the hell he is."

At this confession, the distressed father took a long hard swig straight from  
>the bottle of sake. The two men sat in awkward silence, neither daring to say<br>another word. On the other side of the screen door was Sousuke. He stood  
>stone quiet in the hallway. The boy's hands shook and his legs trembled. In a<br>paralyzed lurch, Sousuke made it back to his room.

Sitting neatly on his futon, Sousuke stared at the wall in stunned silence. The  
>wheels of his mind began to spin out of control as his heart tore into halves, then<br>thirds, then quarters to match his ill-fated Kanji practice. Everything had now  
>been laid bare. It was clear that the one place he had felt welcome had all been a<br>wishful dream. His mother and father couldn't stand him either.

From any other angle it might have even looked comical. He had so much  
>potential and understanding, but it was he who did not belong. Sousuke felt the<br>familiar sting of tears assault his eyes. This time, he allowed them to roll down his  
>cheeks. If he was not a shinigami, then what was he? Why had he been born if he<br>did not belong?

Suddenly feeling like an interloper in his own house, Sousuke stood up briskly  
>and left his room. He made his way to the front door and quietly stole through.<br>Standing outside, he stared out at the darkening sky. No one else was outside, not  
>even a single child remained. Everyone was eating dinner in the home that they<br>were welcome in. A home where they belonged.

There was no place for him to go, no refuge for a strange spirit such as his. In a  
>daze, Sousuke walked into the nearby foliage leading into the woods. He had<br>never done much exploring and had no idea how thick the forest was. For all he  
>knew, he could very well be walking into the jaws of a hollow, but he didn't care.<br>If he were a mistake then perhaps he would just disappear. Sousuke crept  
>through the trees as the darkness of night swallowed him whole.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Sayaka busied herself about the kitchen. She didn't have the heart to tell her  
>husband's friend to leave, but when he did, everything would be all set up for<br>dinner. The slender woman went about keeping the rice and meat warm in the  
>meantime. As she worked, she began to worry about Sousuke. What if he was<br>getting hungry? Too polite for his own good, he would never say anything even if  
>he was.<p>

After some thought, Sayaka thought it would be best if Sousuke ate dinner  
>before his parents. She did not like to bother him when he was in his room, but<br>she would feel guilty if she did not give him the option. Quietly making her way  
>down the hall to her son's room, she was surprised to not only find his door wide<br>open, but to find his room empty as well. Undeterred, the woman checked into  
>every room of the house, but found no trace of her timid son. Sayaka's innards<br>began to twist as she tried to reason with herself why Sousuke was nowhere to be  
>found.<p>

Her alarm was greatly heightened by the simple fact that Sousuke was not a  
>wanderer. Not even as a curious toddler did he stray very far from where he was<br>supposed to be. Sousuke was a good boy. He didn't do things like stepping  
>outside without telling anyone. Sayaka shivered as she swallowed her self-<br>consciousness and approached the only room she had not checked. She knocked  
>politely before sliding the screen. As she poked her head in, her eyes darted<br>across the room, praying for a glimpse of those familiar glasses. Her anxiety grew  
>when she saw only her husband and his friend.<p>

Tohru could see by the look on her face that his wife was upset. "What's the  
>matter?" In an unsteady voice, the woman asked, "Have you seen Sousuke?"<br>Tohru looked confused. "I don't understand. Shouldn't he be on the way home  
>from school right about now?" Feeling light headed, Sayaka clutched the side of<br>the door. "N-no. He came home early and went to his room, but he's gone."

The woman's frail body began to tremble uncontrollably. Fearing that she  
>would pass out, Homura rose from his seat and took hold of her shoulder. "Calm<br>down. I'm sure Sousuke is somewhere around the house or maybe he just  
>stepped out for some fresh air. Don't you think you're overreacting?" Tohru stood<br>up and moved towards the door. "He's right. You know Sousuke-kun. He's never  
>too far from his room."<p>

Sayaka was forced to sit down while her husband and Homura searched the  
>house. Finding nothing, the two men went outside where they noticed Sousuke's<br>shoes still placed neatly on the front step. For reasons he couldn't quite pin down,  
>seeing the still present shoes unsettled Tohru. He worried that perhaps his wife<br>wasn't overreacting after all.

Both men jumped when Sayaka dashed through the open door. She was  
>panicked. "We have to find him! We have to find him! We have to find him!"<br>Tohru grabbed his hysterical wife by the arm, pulled her to his chest and shook  
>her. "Calm down! We'll find him!" By then, several people from neighboring<br>homes had come outside to see what all the noise was about. While Tohru tried  
>to calm Sayaka, Homura questioned the curious observers.<p>

No one had seen the little boy and the evening was only going to get darker. A  
>few of the men offered to help search for the lost boy. Even though a hollow had<br>not been reported in the area for years, some even decided to bring weapons.  
>The wives rushed over to calm Sayaka who was shivering and sobbing. She<br>hiccupped through strangled breaths. "I have to find my baby! He can't survive  
>out there! Let me go! I have to find him!"<p>

Tohru had no time to feel shock or dread. He had to find his son and bring him  
>home. Taking command, discussed with the search party the most likely places his<br>son could have retreated to. They decided to go to the school grounds first. Even  
>though no one would be there, it was familiar scenery for the shy boy. It had not<br>occurred to any of them at the time that Sousuke would seek just the opposite.


	5. Chapter 5

A full moon shone brightly through the leaves, creating an almost eerie glow  
>despite the black pitch of night. Aizen Sousuke was in no state to admire the sight.<br>His bare feet bled from thorns and unforgiving terrain, but he did not care. He  
>could only move forward into the darkness. He had no idea where he was going,<br>but he was unafraid. In fact, he felt hollow inside.

Unable to see an inch in front of him, the boy's foot snagged upon a root and  
>he pitched forward. Having tumbled a few feet away, Sousuke's legs were<br>scratched and bloodied. He had lost his glasses as well. Instead of getting back up,  
>Sousuke stayed down amongst the dirt and the leaves, completely defeated.<br>Perhaps even the woods resented his presence. There seemed to be no place that  
>would have him.<p>

Nearly overcome by his own despair, Sousuke suddenly felt a gentle nudge. He  
>lifted his head and stared into the blackness before him. There was no one there,<br>but it felt like there was. The young boy slowly rose to his feet. Whatever it was,  
>it pulled at his spirit and resonated with him. It seemed to beckon him. Stumbling<br>blindly through the woods, Sousuke used his own reitsu to follow the strange  
>presence.<p>

Falling a few more times along the way, Sousuke continued as the feeling grew  
>stronger. It was almost like he was being pulled forward by an invisible hand.<br>Slowly, a dim light began to glow in the distance. Sousuke wrestled his entangled  
>body away from overgrown tree limbs and raced towards the light. As the area<br>opened up, he could see that the moon had bathed a single flower in a silver light.

Sousuke stood back, amazed. He could still feel his soul being stirred by the  
>force. It was so beautiful. He took a tentative step forward, then stopped<br>abruptly when he finally realized that a dark lake surrounded the plant. Sousuke  
>went to his knees and stared into the darkness of the water. He touched the<br>surface and watched as the water swayed and rippled.

Hesitantly, Sousuke placed a foot into the watery darkness. He shivered as the  
>chill of the water came over him. Determined, he swung his other foot over and<br>sank into the water. The lake was too deep for him to touch his toes to the bed,  
>so he swam awkwardly. His heart sped up as he got closer to the flower. At that<br>moment, all he wanted was to touch that flower. When he was close enough,  
>Sousuke reached out with a wet hand and gentled caressed the soft petals.<p>

Every sense in his body seemed electrified by this contact. It was like the  
>flower was speaking to him in a language without words, but it was a language he<br>seemed to know well. He placed both of his hands around the flower and allowed  
>the clarity to wash over him. His lips quivered as he whispered "I can see…"<br>before a veil fell over his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Dawn had broken and the search continued. The party had diligently checked  
>every area the young boy was known to frequent, but came up empty. The men<br>were exhausted, but determined to find the missing child. As ambitious as they  
>were, hope had faded quickly that they would find the meek child alive. His<br>spiritual pressure was too large to miss even miles away. The fact that no one  
>could pick up even a hint of it was a grim omen.<p>

Tohru refused to let himself dwell on the likelihoods. He tried to keep himself  
>detached as they had entered the dense stretch of woods as a last resort. It hat<br>now been several hours since they had entered the woods. Every second that  
>passed seemed to drive a nail through the young father's heart. His conscience<br>screamed at him. This was his punishment. He had not loved his son as the  
>miracle he was, so now he had been taken back.<p>

Struggling to keep his mind on the task at hand, the man felt his heart stop  
>when he heard a crack. One of the men reached down and picked up a broken<br>pair of glasses. Tohru felt his head spinning as he tried to pass off the very obvious  
>grim message. "We have to keep going!"He bellowed and charged ahead.<br>Although he wanted to shut his mind off, memories flooded back to him.

Even while being pushed from his mother's body, Sousuke had not uttered a  
>sound. Instead, the infant appeared sleepy, as if he had spent his entire life inside<br>his mother asleep. The baby had deep auburn eyes that conveyed an earie sense  
>of understanding. Both parents had felt the daunting effects of the child's reitsu<br>immediately, but neither had the heart to make much of it at the time. They had  
>finally had the child they had always wanted.<p>

After a bit more hiking, a clearing yawned open. The men were stunned to see  
>a large body of water out of the middle of nowhere. There was a hand full of<br>creeks scattered about, but no one could recall a small lake right in the middle of  
>the woods. Tohru had no interest in the site; he moved to walk around the lake's<br>perimeter before someone in the group blurted "Oh, shit!"

At this exclamation, Tohru looked over at the lake. He saw nothing beyond the  
>water's surface besides a flat rock rising from the water. Then, almost as soon as<br>he made the observation did he realize that he saw was not a rock at all. It was a  
>back. A child's back floating to the surface.<p>

Several of the men moved to grab hold of Tohru as he screamed "Sousuke!"  
>The men fought to hold him back as Homura raced into the water and waded over<br>to the boy. Lifting him out of the water, Homura draped him across his back as he  
>swam back to shore. Laying Sousuke on the grass, the man went to work<br>searching for any signs of life. The child's crippling reiatsu had all but vanished.

Not wanting to give up, Homura placed his ear to the child's chest and  
>concentrated. Not only could he still feel a faint pressure, but he also heard a<br>shallow heart beat. In his excitement, Homura yelled to the group of men "He's  
>still alive!" At this, Tohru broke away and raced over to his son. Homura pressed<br>hard on Sousuke's stomach, while Tohru cradled his face in his hands. The  
>pressure made the unconscious boy gasp and cough, but failed to wake him.<p>

Homura nodded to the men gathered around them. "He's breathing." Tohru  
>gathered Sousuke's limp wet body into his arms and held him tightly to his chest.<br>His voice was choked with tears. But he held them off. "We need to get him  
>home."<p> 


End file.
